


Valentine Hearts I: Cards, Scrabble, And Red Silk

by BradyGirl_12



Series: Valentine Hearts [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU, DCU - Comicverse, Green Arrow, Nightwing (Comic), Superman (Comics), Superman/Batman (Comics), World's Finest (Comics)
Genre: Birthday, Challenge Response, Challenges, Community: BradyGirl_12 DCU Challenges, Established Relationship, Gift, Gift Fic, Holidays, Humor, M/M, Male Slash, Prompt Fic, Romance, Series, Slash, Valentine's Day, World's Finest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-21
Updated: 2012-01-21
Packaged: 2017-10-29 21:45:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/324491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BradyGirl_12/pseuds/BradyGirl_12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Valentine’s Day in the Harper-Grayson household.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	Valentine Hearts I: Cards, Scrabble, And Red Silk

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Greeneyelove](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Greeneyelove).



> Original LJ Date Of Completion: January 23, 2008  
> Original LJ Date Of Posting: January 25, 2008  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC does, more’s the pity.  
> Original LJ Word Count: 1837  
> Feedback welcome and appreciated.  
> Happy Birthday, Greeneyelove! :)  
> I hope you don’t mind that this is also a Valentine fic for the [2008 DCU Fic/Art Valentine’s Day Challenge](http://bradygirl-12.livejournal.com/149072.html). I thought of the Harper-Grayson family for your birthday fic and then the Valentine theme started to flow. :)  
> [Valentine Challenge](http://bradygirl-12.livejournal.com/149072.html) Prompts Used: _Roses, White Lace, Red Velvet, Red, White, Pink, Chocolates/Candies, Yellow, Red Silk_. Also, the cards used in this story are more humorous than sappy. ;)  
>  The entire series can be found [here.](http://bradygirl-12.livejournal.com/31948.html)

Dick entered the apartment and greeted Omar with a smile, the grin widening as he saw Lian on her knees in front of the coffee table, industriously sorting her Valentine cards.

“Thanks, Omar. See you tomorrow.”

The bodyguard left with a nod and Dick set his grocery bag on the kitchen counter, quickly storing everything away and joining Lian in the living room.

“Hey, Princess, did you get a lot of nice cards today?”

“Yeah!” Lian made a grand gesture over the table, and Dick had to admit there were quite a few cards there. “We had cupcakes and everyone wore red or pink or white. Ms. Ketchum said that those were Valentine colors.”

“She’s right.” He ran his hand down his little girl’s back, enjoying the sensation of the red velvet. Her dress was trimmed in white lace. “So, sounds like a good day all around.”

“The best!” She looked up at him solemnly. “Is Daddy going to be home tonight, Papa?”

“I’m not sure. I certainly hope so!”

Lian giggled. “So you can get mushy?”

He pushed her gently. “You’re a wiseguy, aren’t you?”

She giggled again, then returned to her sorting.

Dick was amused by the cards that Lian had chosen to give out. She had proudly shown him and Roy the superhero-themed cards that included figures of Nightwing and Red Arrow in addition to the JLA and other heroes. What had really been the kicker was the other package…

& & & & & &

_“Look, Daddy, Papa! That’s you!”_

_He and Roy burst out laughing as they picked up the cards in the shapes of Robin and Speedy._

_“Well, Shortpants, looks like they got you right. Nice legs.”_

_Dick rolled his eyes but grinned. “And what about you, Speedy? You’re all covered up! I always liked your costume’s colors but not so much of it!”_

_“Well, it’s not my fault that you designed your own costume so of course it would look like an exhibitionist’s.”_

_Dick stuck out his tongue and Lian laughed. She held up more copies of the cards. “See, there are more than one copy.” She carefully read the package, using reading skills only a few years old. “It says six each.”_

_“That’s right, Pumpkin. Six copies of your Daddy and Papa and Aunt Donna and Uncle Wally and Uncle Garth…”_

_Lian grinned as she took the cards from her fathers and replaced them in the box. “I have to start writing them out,” she said importantly. “I have lots to get ready!”_

_She hurried off with her box and Dick and Roy fell over each other laughing._

_“What are the odds she’d find a box of the Original Teen Titans?” Dick snickered as he slid his arms around Roy._

_“Just our luck, huh, Shortpants?” Roy winked. “You know, I meant that about the exhibitionist. Man, you sure showed a lot of skin back in the day!” He put his arm around Dick. “Too bad your costume covers so much up now.”_

_“Doesn’t matter.” Dick winked. “I still show a lot of skin, just not in public.”_

_Roy’s grin was wolfish as they wrestled each other down on the couch…_

& & & & & &

“Looks like a nice set of cards you received,” Dick said as he watched his daughter sort.

“Yeah, a lot are pretty and some are really funny.” Lian’s small-but-deft fingers put a humorous card in the ‘funny’ pile. “Papa?”

“Yes?”

“Some of the kids are really mean. Last year Joey Osgood didn’t get any cards.”

Dick’s stomach tightened. Poor kid.

“Did that happen again this year?”

It was the one thing he hated about the Valentine card ritual in school. The kids who didn’t get many…or any…cards…always wound up hurt. When he was young and still in the circus, he was generally in school during the February month as the circus went into winter quarters. He rarely had a problem making friends and had received plenty of cards, but there were always a few kids who didn’t.

“No.” Lian pushed a pretty card into the ‘pretty’ pile. “I gave him one.”

With loving pride, Dick said, “That was very nice of you.”

Lian looked a little embarrassed but said, “He…he came up to me at recess. No one else was around. He thanked me, Papa.” Lian looked at Dick. “He was holding the card and thanked me.”

Dick blinked and stroked Lian’s strawberry hair. “You did a good thing, sweetheart. Never be afraid to be kind to someone who really needs it.”

Lian nodded, then returned her attention to her cards.

Dick remembered his own giving of cards to the less-fortunate. He hated to see anyone left out.

Lian frowned. “I couldn’t find two of my cards, Papa.”

“What?” Dick was still thinking about his childhood Valentine Days.

“I was going to write out the Robin ‘n’ Speedy cards and couldn’t find ‘em.” She shrugged. “I guess maybe there weren’t six copies in the box.”

“Could be.”

“I had other copies.” She carefully stacked her piles in different sections of the box that had held her Teen Titans’ cards. “Is it like the sock elf?”

Dick laughed. “Yes, maybe so.” He ruffled her hair and she smiled. “Sock elves come out and snatch our socks so we end up with just one and no matching sock!”

Lian giggled and picked up her box. “I’m gonna go change now. I hope that Daddy comes home soon.”

“Me, too, Princess.”

Dick sat back on the couch, trying to relax. He had undergone a busy week, and had been looking forward to tonight. Unfortunately, Roy had been called away on a JLA mission a few days ago and it wasn’t certain that he would be back. He dug out his cellphone and dialed a special number.

_“Hello, Nightwing.”_

Dick grinned. “Hello, Superman.” The Watchtower’s security had identified his number. It was best to stick to superhero names just in case, though. “Any ETA on a certain redheaded bowman?”

Clark’s voice was amused and affectionate. _“He could be in your nest by 2200, if all goes well.”_

“Ah ha, very good!” Dick swung his legs up onto the couch. “And how is the Bat doing?”

_“Actually, pretty well. He volunteered to keep me company until I’m off-shift.”_

Dick’s grin widened. Clark was one of the best things to ever happen to Bruce.

“Excellent. You two can play Scrabble or mah-jongg.”

Clark laughed, a sound that always made Dick smile. _“How about Monopoly?”_

“Hmm, I don’t know. Didn’t Green Arrow say that was a capitalist game and took it out of the Tower?”

Laughter again. _“He called it that, but I caught him playing it last week with Plastic Man.”_

This time Dick laughed. “Good! You guys need to keep up a full contingent of games. Looking at the stars is lovely, but you need some mental stimulation, too. Among other types of stimulation.”

There was a rustling sound, then a very familiar voice, _“Nightwing, don’t you have anything better to do than make perverted small talk with Superman?”_

Dick nearly rolled off the couch with his laughter. “Sorry, Batman. I just got caught up in the spirit of the holiday, I guess!”

A snort. _“I’ll send Red Arrow to you right away when he gets back. You sound as if you need taking care of.”_

“I appreciate your concern for my welfare, Batman.”

An intake of breath. _“It doesn’t matter how old you are, you’re still a brat.”_

Dick’s stomach was starting to hurt with his laughter. “I prefer the term ‘saucy’.”

 _“Would that be ‘hot sauce’?”_ Clark interjected with a smile in his voice.

 _“Don’t encourage him!”_ Bruce admonished.

“How about ‘awesome sauce’?” Dick asked.

 _“I can work with that,”_ Clark replied.

_“Arghh!!”_

Dick winked at Lian as she came out of her bedroom in more comfortable play clothes.

“Why don’t you play Scrabble with Superman, Batman? Relax you a little.”

More grumbling.

Lian was delighted. She hopped up on the couch and Clark said, _“Scrabble sounds like a good idea, Nightwing. Say hello to Little Red for us.”_

Dick nodded. Lian couldn’t speak to her uncle and grandfather over a JLA comm but she nodded eagerly. Dick smiled at her and answered, “Little Red says hello back. And, Superman?”

_“Yes?”_

“Dark chocolate is always a sure thing.”

Bubbling laughter. _“Thank you for the tip, Nightwing. Red Arrow’s ETA is still 2200 hours.”_

“Thanks. Happy Valentine’s Day, Superman. You, too, Batman!”

_“Brat.”_

Lian joined in Dick’s laughter as he flipped his phone shut.

“Grandpa Bruce likes to grumble a lot, doesn’t he, Papa?”

“He sure does, Princess, but we know he loves us, right?”

“Oh, yes!” Lian scrambled up to sit in Dick’s lap, and he turned on the TV to the Cartoon Network and happily watched the latest JLA cartoon.

Later they ate supper in the kitchen, and enjoyed treats of Alred’s Valentine cupcakes, vanilla or chocolate frosted in pink or white frosting with maraschino cherries on top. After Lian finished her homework Dick tucked her into bed, saying, “Daddy’ll be here in the morning to wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day, just a little late.”

“I know, Papa.” Lian was serene. “He has a job to do with the JLA!”

“That he does, Pumpkin, that he does.” Dick smoothed her hair back and kissed her. “Sweet dreams, Princess.”

She giggled. “Sweet dreams, Papa.”

Dick quietly closed the door behind him, and he decided to take a shower.

The hot water was orgasmic, sluicing over his body like a living thing, teasing and cascading as he threw his head back, letting it wash over him as he allowed himself to relax. By the time he shut the water off, his hair was wet and falling over his eyes.

He dried off and put on sweatpants and an old red T-shirt. He went out to the living room, watched TV for awhile, then shut it off and went to the bedroom. He placed a box of chocolates on the nightstand with a big red bow on top, checked the drawer for lemon-scented lube, put fresh water in the vase that held the two dozen red and yellow roses with its greenery, then grinned at the bed itself.

Shimmering in red silk, it resembled a bordello’s bed, according to Roy, but he had snickered and been more than happy to try out the new sheets for this special night, which included a bedspread of the same material. Grinning, Dick stripped, eager to get under the covers and wait for Roy.

He turned down the bedspread and that was when he saw them. Blinking, he leaned down, then flopped onto the bed laughing.

At the edge of both pillows was the Robin card.

And the Speedy card.

One card was on top of the other.

The digital clock by the bed switched to 10:05, and Dick heard the hum of the JLA transporter in the utility room.

He turned and smiled with sparkling eyes as the door opened.


End file.
